How many things in a magazine are actual written articles, written by journalists, that are interesting to read? And how many are advertisements? Most people are aware that the main income of magazines and newspapers are their advertisements, which occupy most of the space in the magazine or newspaper.

Ad’s now-a-days are becoming more explicit, especially those geared towards the younger generation regarding alcohol, cigarettes, etc. The use of models and behavior of a sexual nature are often used in every ad to sell the product. But where is the journalism?

As an aspiring journalist, although not in the broadcasting field, a freedom that is imperative is the freedom of speech and expression. Also as an Italian language studies minor, something that is important is reading italian newspapers. So, I found something that pertained to both the journalism and the Italian aspects.

On November 11, 2006 there was an article on www.Reppublica.it called “Liberta’ nel web, ecco la “lista nera” in 13 Paesi si e’ constretti al silenzio.” For those of you who are not educated in the language, “Freedom on the web, here is the “black list” in 13 countries who have constricted themselves to silence.”

The article talks about 13 countries, including North Korea, Saudi Arabia, China and Egypt, just to name a few, in which freedom of expression is prohibited. An organization called “Reporters Senza Frontiere,” or “Reporters without Borders,” include people from these countries. The purpose of this organization is to raise awareness about this lack of freedom.

In these countries, if someone posts a blog or writes something on a web site that contradicts the regime, or “badmouths” the local government, the consequence is often time in prison. For example, in Cuba, if an independent journalist uses the web, the punishment for writing an article is one year in prison.

“Reporters without Borders” started a protest online for 24 hours, in which you could visit their website and vote for the country you think most offends the freedomo of expression. Every year, the “black list” is getting smaller, which is a good thing, but it is very hard to accomplish. It is times like these that I am proud to be an American citizen, with all the rights and freedoms that we have. We take for granted our freedom to express ourselves. As the article stated, “La liberta’ di espressione non e’ un lusso, ma un diritto di tut

It must be fate that my last post was on the topic of inspiration. A true inspiration to journalists and people across the world was lost on November 9th, 2006. Ed Bradley, a man whose values and determination supersceded the times, died of complications from lukemia at the age of 65.

In days where there were little or no black people on the radio or in the news, Ed Bradley, a man who had core values and utter respect for everyone, stepped up to the plate and hit a home run. Although he started out as a school teacher, Ed’s passion was for broadcast journalism. Throughout his life he was a CBS and 60 Minutes news correspondant and was among the first african american to make a name for himself in television network.

The winner of 19 Emmy Awards, Bradley showed the world what he could do, whether it be with his deep interviews or his quick improvisation. He knew that if he put himself into his stories, it would be more rewarding in the end, because he would take something from it.

In reading about Ed Bradley’s life, I could not help but be inspired. A few things that I have learned and that all aspiring journalists should hold true are these:

-Find role models. Look for people who are doing what you would like to do, and aspire to be like them.

-Take initiative and be assertive. No one got anywhere in life by sitting back and letting opportunities pass by. As a former teacher once said, “Get off your ass and knock on doors!”

-Be open to new possibilities. A closed minded person is an ignorant one. The world is a big place with many different people, places and things. Don’t get trapped, but rather, open up.

-Improvise on a situation. When things aren’t going your way, use your creativity and imagination to make it better. Don’t think that you’ve been defeated, rather, look at it as a sign for you to use your skills.

-Know people. Know and understand what is going on in the world and in places around you. Keep your eyes and ears open.

In an interview, Bradley said, “A person should be a journalist if it’s something that lights their fire.” If you truely love and are inspired by what you do, it will always be better and more rewarding.

So I’d like to take this time to remember a true legend, Ed Bradley, who helped change the face of journalism forever. In the words of Ed Bradley, “everyone has an inner compass,” …so all you have to do is follow it.

Inspiration is everywhere: it just depends on where you look. This post is to encourage everyone, not just journalism majors, to study abroad to find inspiration.

I am planning on traveling throughout Italy to experience the culture, art, nightlife, settings and especially, the language of a different country. If you have the chance, take it. You can experience a lifetime of memories in one semester, or maybe during the summer. For writers, you can find new inspiration where ever you turn, even in places you didnt think it existed. A close friend who is studying in the beautiful Netherlands said something to me that stayed in my mind.

“The people here work to live, and thats what they do, just live life.”

So whether you seek inspiration in your hometown or overseas, remember to keep your eyes wide and be open to new possibilities.

Ed2010 is a group for young, aspiring magazine editors. When surfing the site you can find countless informative facts relating to who they are, jobs, events (such as book clubs, panels and workshops) and especially, internships. Ask Ed, a section in the site, poses an opportunity to post a question, and hopefully, (if its a good one!) get a reply that is directly posted on the site.

The question of the day was…”How do I get a spring internship?”

Ed said that editors do not usually look to hire spring interns until december. So getting a head start is good, but not nesessary. “Go to the Ed on Campus internship page—at the end of the year. Apply for all that look appealing to you. Write tailored cover letters (don’t even think about sending a form letter where you plug in the name of the magazine!) and make sure that you send your stuff to the right person. It’s really that easy.”-Ed2010.com

Also under the Ask Ed portion of the site, there are archives of previously asked questions, such as “Landing a NYC job from outside New York,” “What makes a good internship cover letter,” and “How should my resume be designed?” Even if you don’t post a question, Ask Ed is a good way to get answers to questions that maybe you didn’t even know you had. So…ask away, look for answers in different places, and for the ones looking for a job for the spring-take a breather. Enjoy the fall air, and start applying when the winter comes.

So…I was bored, and nothing interesting was on TV, so I went on Seventeen.com to check my horoscope. Pathetic, I know. But sometimes those things catch you by surprise. Anyway, after seeing that “it’s an excellent time to have interviews of all kinds,” (yes, thats what it said) I started to read a letter from the editor of Seventeen entitled, “How do I become an editor or intern?” Well now, that caught my eye. Who better to explain all this than Atoosa Rubenstein, editor-in-chief?

Write. Write whatever you can, when you can. Read. Read magazines, especially the ones that interest you. Look at the titles and read the letters from the editors. Look at their point of view. Get an internship. Go to New York City. Major in WHAT YOU LIKE. (Atoosa majored in Political Science…??) Make phone calls. Get experience. Don’t wait. Be fierce, be enthousiastic, be passionate. Competition is tough, and it’s out there.

A link at the bottom of her letter read “How to apply for an internship at Seventeen.” It’s simple, and it is broken down into departments such as fashion, beauty/fitness, features, and art/production.

Most likely, I would look into the art/production interns. Yes, I like to write. Yes, I like to edit stories. But I LOVE photography and layouts. Hmm..maybe I should have majored in graphic design…?

For an aspiring magazine editor, I’m finding it hard to spit out my first blog on the spot. Normally my fingers can’t stop rubbing the letters off of the keyboard. As a beginner, I decided to turn to the ones that have been doing this far more than I have. The only way to find inspiration is to search the web, right? Wrong. Inspiration can come from places you’ve only thought about in your dreams. But, for the moment, we’ll stick with the world wide web.

After a little digging, I discovered a pick-me-up on Blogher.com. A page solely for women bloggers everywhere. From art, to fashion, to travel, to sex, it’s a place to talk about, well, whatever! After reading through a few that caught my eye (mostly about entertainment, fashion, etc..I’m not one for politics) I realized that blogging isn’t as bad as I thought. This could be because I developed the mindset that only “weirdo’s” with “nothing to do” posted blogs about absolutely nothing on websites such as “Myspace.” Professional blogging gives it a twist, but a good one, in my favor.

So, here we start to blog. Here we start to get involved in organizations. Here we develop ourselves from timid college students to go-getters that want to create a life for themselves in the magazine journalism industry. So I’ll start by writing for the school newspaper, by joining organizations such as Ed2010, and by learning and growing from women who have done it before me, and have done it well. So search the links and find the blogger in you.